Is a Pony Car with 4 Cylinders Still a Pony Car?

The low rumble of an idling V8 hints at the coming roar that will echo through the concrete-slathered urban jungle of downtown. Once the accelerator pedal hits the floor and sends a flood of liquid fire into the waiting cylinders, everyone within three city blocks knows a powerful pony car is near.

The unmistakable notes of aural pleasure that resonate through tunnels and off skyscrapers bring joy to all bystanders and pedestrians walking to work. They say, “That sound is why I go to work. Someday, I will be that cool guy screaming through the streets and flaunting my awesomeness.”

Soon, though, the classic roar of a V8 pony car may be replaced by the whine of a turbocharged 4-cylinder.

Which won’t sound nearly as good inside a tunnel.

Can you imagine a 4-cylinder Mustang? Well, ignore the 2.3-liter 4-cylinder from the Mustang II. That doesn’t count. Think about a modern 4-cylinder Mustang or Camaro. If you can’t, it’s time to start opening up your mind, because odds are, the next iteration of the ‘Stang will have an EcoBoost 4-banger under the hood. And it very well could produce more power than the current base V6.

Reports are coming in that Ford is currently working on a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine to be used in the next-generation Focus RS. Matthias Ton, head of Ford’s global performance car division, went on the record to say that the base model 2015 Mustang will share that same powerplant, replacing the current 3.7-liter V6.

With the turbo power, Mustang fans can expect somewhere in the neighborhood of 330 horsepower and upwards of 280 lb-ft of torque. Combined with the smaller, lighter form that the new Mustang should take, 4-cylinder power might not be too bad.

And that V8 roar? Relax. As long as Ford keeps the Mustang name, you can be sure a V8 option will always be on the table.

nobody will want that piece of junk 4 cylinder. they will all be heading straight to the scrap yard to go get a v8 and swap it out. people love the roar of the engine and that feel of the power not the annoying wine of a ricer. besides that v8s last longer they dont have to work as hard to do common tasks and in turn last much much longer than 4 cylinders.

I can’t get excited about anything with the Mustang name on it regardless of what’s under the hood. Heck, I’ve been looking at the endless iterations of this car since 1964 when it first came out, until it literally became a parody of itself. The Mustang is a monument to arrested development.